Hunting and Sporting Firearm

ABSTRACT

In a hunting and sporting firearm including a rolling block having a cavity for accommodating at least one action, the latter comprising a hammer for actuating a firing pin, a propulsion element for propelling the hammer and a trigger, said propulsion element is subjected to the action of a shock absorber consisting of its own drive means constituted by a spiral spring.

This invention relates to a hunting and sporting firearm.

In particular, this invention relates to an action forming part of afirearm of this kind.

The term “action” is used here to mean the combined parts of apercussion and firing mechanism which, upon actuation of the trigger,causes a firing pin to impact the cartridge primer so as to ignite thepropellant.

For simplicity, this specification will refer to a single-barrelfirearm, although it will be understood that it also applies todouble-barrel firearms (with side-by-side or over-and-under barrels).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is known, the action is mounted inside the rolling block, that is,the steel block attached to the stock and to which the barrels arepivoted. In a single-barrel firearm, the action comprises a hammermounted on a transverse pin and designed to directly strike the firingpin of the cartridge primer, and means for propelling the hammer,consisting of snap action means actuated by the trigger.

As also known in prior art, the firing pin consists of a substantiallycylindrical rod operated by a spiral retracting spring that causes it toslide lengthways in a through hole made in a separating wall between theinside of the rolling block and the breech.

When the hammer, actuated by the propulsion means, strikes one end ofthe firing pin extending into the cavity that houses the action, thesecond, round-tipped end of the rod penetrates the barrel for a certainlength in such a way as to strike the primer.

After each shot, in order to enable the barrel to be opened to extractthe empty cartridge case and reload the gun, the firing pin must beretracted from the breech into the through hole so as to prevent wearand breakage caused by interference of the second end of the firing pinwith the cartridge case and the barrel itself.

This is done by the retracting spring. The firing pin, however, can beretracted only if the hammer is free to withdraw, or in other words, ifit is no longer in contact with the propulsion means or subjected totheir pushing force.

For this reason, the propulsion means, which are operated by the springelastic means, are equipped with stop means, adjusted in such a waythat, under end of stroke conditions, that is to say, when the elasticmeans are extended as far as possible, the hammer is no longer subjectedto their pushing force and performs only by inertia a limited finalangular stroke until it impacts the cartridge case and thus allows thefiring pin to return freely to its initial rest position.

It has been found, however, that on account of the extremely strongforces applied to the propulsion means by the elastic means, thestopping means are subjected to violent shocks which cause wear andwhich, in the long run, modify their position to such an extent as toprevent the firing pin from returning to its initial rest position,thereby giving rise to the problems described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome theabove-mentioned disadvantages by providing a firearm equipped with asimple action that is more durable and reliable than actions known inprior art.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a hunting andsporting firearm having the characteristics described in claim 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The technical characteristics of the invention, with reference to theabove aims, are clearly described in the claims below and its advantagesare apparent from the detailed description which follows, with referenceto the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthe invention provided merely by way of example without restricting thescope of the inventive concept, and in which:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are schematic side views, with some parts in cross section,showing a portion of a firearm equipped with an action according to thepresent invention in four different operating conditions;

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of a detail from FIGS. 1 to 4comprising the action according to the invention;

FIGS. 6 to 9 are schematic side views, with some parts in cross section,showing a detail of the action according to the invention in fourdifferent operating conditions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 denotes in its entiretyan over-and-under firearm comprising a pair of barrels 2 (partiallyillustrated), and a stock 3 (partially illustrated), between which thereis a rolling block 4 to which the barrels 2 are pivoted by means of ahinge pin 5.

The numeral 6 denotes a cavity in the rolling block 4, designed toaccommodate a snap action mechanism 7 comprising, for each barrel 2, anaction 8 which, upon being actuated by a trigger 9, causes a respectivefiring pin 10 associated with each barrel 2 to impact the case of acartridge (not illustrated).

Each firing pin 10 consists of a substantially cylindrical rod 11 havinga rim 11 a at an intermediate position of it and housed in a throughhole 12 made in a transversal wall 13 separating the cavity 6 from therespective barrel 2. Positioned around each firing pin 10 and abuttingagainst the rim 11 a there is a helical spring 14 for retracting thefiring pin 10 into the cavity 6.

Since the two actions 8, each associated with one of the barrels 2, areexactly the same, reference will hereinafter be made to only one firingpin 10 and to the respective action 8.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the cavity 6 has at the bottom of itan opening 15 and is defined by the aforementioned transversal wall 13and by two longitudinal walls 16 and an end wall 17 attached to thestock 3 and an upper wall 18 that closes it.

The action 8 forms part of a unit 19 that can be extracted from thecavity 6 and re-inserted into the latter through the opening 15, and ismounted in the cavity 6 by quick fitting and release means labelled 20in their entirety.

The extractable unit 19 includes a supporting member 21 on which theaction 8 is mounted and which is defined, at the bottom, by a mobilewall 22 that closes the opening 15 and has a trigger guard 23 attachedto it.

The trigger 9 projecting outwardly from the wall 22 forms part of theaction 8. The action 8 further comprises a hammer 24 for directlyactuating the firing pin 10, mounted on the supporting member 21 bymeans of a transverse pin 25, a customary mechanism 26 (not illustrated)for releasing the hammer 24 when the trigger 9 is actuated and apropulsion element, labelled 27 as a whole, for propelling the hammer24.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9, the propulsion element 27 comprisesmeans 28 for actuating the hammer 24 and mobile, along an axis 29defined by guide means 30 consisting of a rod 31, between a retractedloading position (FIGS. 1 and 6) and an advanced position (FIG. 7) inwhich the hammer 24 is propelled towards the firing pin 10.

The actuating means 28 consist of a tubular element 32 coaxial with theaxis 29 and having a first, round-tipped end 33 that actuates the hammer24 and a U-shaped protrusion 34 at the other end.

The tubular element 32 houses means 35 for driving the actuating means28 and consisting of a spiral spring 36 wound around the guide rod 31which, at its free end, is equipped with a substantiallyparallelepiped-shaped end block 37 abutting against a pin 38 transversalto the axis 29 and attached to the supporting member 21.

The numeral 39 denotes means for stopping the actuating means 28 andhaving an elongated portion 40 parallel to the axis 29 and slidablyinserted between the branches of the U-shaped protrusion 34. Theelongated portion 40 has a T-shaped end 41 whose transversal section isdesigned to engage the branches of the protrusion 34 which thus definesmeans for opposing the T-shaped portion of the end 41.

As can be seen better in FIG. 5, at its second end the elongated portion40 has a wall 42 transversal to the axis 29 and having made in it a hole43 through which the rod 31 can slide. The wall 42 is interposed betweenone end of the spiral spring 36 protruding from the tubular element 32and the block 37 and, for the reasons that will become clear in thedescription of how the propulsion element 27 operates, constitutesabutting means 44 integral with the stopping means 39.

The numeral 45 denotes a guide wall, orthogonal to the wall 42 andcoplanar with the elongated portion 40 and designed to slide on an upperface of the end block 37.

During use, starting from the condition illustrated in FIG. 1 e 6, wherethe hammer 24 is retracted in the cocked position and the tubularelement 32 and spring 36 are, respectively, retracted and compressed,pulling the trigger 9 causes the mechanism 26 to release the hammer 24which turns about the pin 25, in an anticlockwise direction in thedrawings, driven by the tubular element 32 under the action of thespring 36.

The tubular element 32 drives the hammer 24 so it turns as far as thepoint where the branches of the protrusion 34 engage the T-shaped end 41of the stopping means 39, after which, by inertia, it performs a limitedfinal angular stroke until the firing-pin 10 impacts the cartridge case.

The impact of the T-shaped end 41 of the elongated portion 40 againstthe branches of the of the U-shaped protrusion 34 of the tubular element32 causes the spring 36 to be compressed by the wall 42 and, thus, atthis stage, the propulsion element 27 is subjected to the action ofrespective shock absorbing means 49 consisting of elastic meansconstituted by the spiral spring 36 itself.

The presence of these shock absorbing means 49 makes the action 8according to this invention more durable and reliable than prior artactions described above.

Lastly, it should also be noticed that replacement of the action 8,should this be necessary for any reason, is extremely quick and easythanks to the quick-release means 20, consisting of a pressure fit 46between the supporting member 21 and the wall 13, and a button 47 forreleasing a pin 48 that locks the supporting member 21 itself on alongitudinal wall 16 of the rolling block 4.

It will be understood that the invention described may be useful in manyindustrial applications and may be modified and adapted in several wayswithout thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept.Moreover, all the details of the invention may be substituted bytechnically equivalent elements.

What is claimed is: 1-11. (canceled)
 12. A hunting and sporting gunincluding a rolling block with a cavity for housing at least one actioncomprising a hammer for actuating a respective firing pin and apropulsion element for propelling the hammer and a trigger, furthercomprising shock absorbing means for damping the impact of thepropulsion element.
 13. The firearm of claim 12, wherein the propulsionelement comprises: means for actuating the hammer and mobile along anaxis between a retracted loading position and an advanced, hammerpropelling position; means for stopping at the advanced propellingposition; and means for driving the actuating means.
 14. The firearm ofclaim 13, wherein the drive means consist of a spiral springsubstantially coaxial with the axis and positioned between the actuatingmeans and abutting means integral with the stopping means.
 15. Thefirearm of claim 14, wherein the abutting means are slidably mounted onrespective guide means coaxial with the axis.
 16. The firearm of claim15, wherein the guide means are defined by a rod having at one endthereof a block for connection to a fixed stop pin.
 17. The firearm ofclaim 15, wherein the shock absorbing means consist of elastic meansacting on the abutting means.
 18. The firearm of claim 14, wherein theshock absorbing means are constituted by the spiral spring.
 19. Thefirearm of claim 14, wherein the actuating means comprise a tubularelement coaxial with the axis having at one end a tip for actuating thehammer and housing the rod, with the spiral spring interposed betweenthem; the tubular element having a protrusion defining opposing meansdesigned to engage the stopping means.
 20. The firearm of claim 12,wherein the action forms part of a unit that can be extracted from thecavity and re-inserted into said cavity through an opening.
 21. Thefirearm of claim 20, further comprising means for quickly fitting andreleasing the unit in the cavity.
 22. The firearm of claim 21, whereinthe unit comprises a supporting member for mounting the hammer, thepropulsion element and the trigger.